Kansas State High School Activities Association
Encyclopedia
The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas
at the high school
level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.
The KSHSAA was formed in 1937. It resulted from the merger of the statewide Debate League (formed in 1910) and the statewide Athletic Association.
Football
is evaluated biannually based only upon enrollment for grades 9, 10, and 11, with classifications for the next two seasons announced in October of an odd-numbered year. Schools with 100 or fewer students in grades 9-11 have the option to play Eight-man football
instead of the traditional 11-man game. In 11-man football, there are five classes (6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2-1A), with 32 schools in 6A and 5A, 64 schools in 4A and 3A, and the remaining schools (43 for 2010 and 2011) in 2-1A. In eight-man football, there are two divisions of roughly equal size, with 105 schools scheduled to compete in 8-man for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
Schools form leagues to compete against one another, and participation in a particular league is voluntary. Most schools in a league are located within a close geographic range. The most notable example is in Wichita
, where the nine high schools within the city limits form the Greater Wichita Athletic League (GWAL, more commonly known as the City League). However, due to sparse population in western Kansas, schools in the same league are often separated by distances of more than 100 miles, and in a few cases, schools are almost 200 miles apart.
In football, teams are placed by the KSHSAA into districts in both 8-man and 11-man competition, and the top two teams in each district advance to the state playoff tournament. There are eight districts in Classes 6A, 5A, 2-1A and both divisions of 8-man football, and 16 districts in Classes 4A and 3A. Football is the only sport where schools are contractually required to play other schools during the regular season. Football contracts are signed on a two-year, home-and-home basis to begin in even-numbered years.
In some sports and activities where not all small schools may field a team, classifications are combined for purposes of state championships. For example, in policy debate, there are state championships for 6A, 5A, 4A, and 3-2-1A combined.
Football:
at Cessna Stadium
on the campus of Wichita State University
. The meet, which features athletes from schools in all six classes, is one of the nation's largest high school meet, with more than 3,300 athletes participating. The state track meet hosted its 100th competition in 2010.
The eight-man football championships are held the Saturday before Thanksgiving
, while the 11-man football title games are held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, ensuring the football season ends before December 1. The games are held at various sites across the state, with popular sites including Fort Hays State University
in Hays
, Emporia State University
in Emporia
, the University of Kansas
in Lawrence
, Kansas State University
in Manhattan
, Pittsburg State University
in Pittsburg
, and Hutchinson Community College
in Hutchinson
, as well as high school stadiums in Salina
and Topeka
. The eight-man championships are currently held at Fischer Field in Newton
.
Kansas is one of the few states, especially in the Midwest
, that holds state football championship games at different sites. State championships in Illinois
, Indiana
, Iowa
, Michigan
, Minnesota
, Missouri
, Nebraska
, North Dakota
, South Dakota
, and Wisconsin
are held at a single central location, while Ohio
holds its games at stadiums in Canton
and Massillon
, which are located only 11 miles apart.
The state basketball championships are held the second week of March, with girls and boys competition taking place at the same time. The sites for the six classes remained constant from 1990 through 2010, with 6A at Emporia State
, 5A at the Kansas Expocenter
in Topeka
, 4A at the Bicentennial Center
in Salina
, 3A at the Hutchinson
Sports Arena, 2A at Bramlage Coliseum
on the KSU
campus, and 1A at Fort Hays State
's Gross Memorial Coliseum
. The 4A, 3A and 1A tournaments began at their current locations in 1980.
In 2011, the 6A tournament will move to Charles Koch Arena
on the campus of Wichita State University
, as Emporia will host the Class 1A-Division I tournament. The 1A-Division II tournament will remain at Hays.
State championships for baseball
and softball
are held at the same time as the track championship, usually at community colleges or large recreational fields, although some championships have been held at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium
in Wichita, home of the National Baseball Congress
tournament and the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball's Wichita Wingnuts
, as well as Hoglund Ballpark
at KU in Lawrence. The 2011 Class 6A tournament will be hosted by KU, and the 5A tournament will be hosted by Wichita State at Eck Stadium
.
State championships for wrestling
are held in late February every year. Up until 2005, classes 6,5, and 4A held separate but concurrently running tournaments at the Kansas Coliseum in Wichita, Kansas
, while 3-2-1A held their tournament at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays
. After that year, KSHSAA began looking for alternative sites for the classes to hold their tournaments for a number of reasons, including remodeling which was to begin on the Coliseum in the following years. In 2006, 4A left and held its own tournament at the Bicentennial Center in Salina, Kansas
, while the other classes stayed at their respective sites. In 2007/2008 season, each of the 4 classes competed in 4 separate facilities, as the Coliseum was not be available. 3-2-1A and 4A remain in Hays and Salina respectively, while 6A moved to Charles Koch Arena
at Wichita State University
and 5A moved to Hutchinson High School.
The 2009 6A and 5A championships returned to the Kansas Coliseum, but only for a one-year contract. The 2010 5A and 6A state wrestling tournaments were held at the Intrust Bank Arena. The 2011 6A and 5A state championships have been moved to the Hartman Arena
in Park City, Kansas
.
Due to Kansas' cold climate in the winter, the championships for golf
, tennis
, and soccer
are split. Girls compete in golf and tennis in the fall and soccer in the spring, while boys compete in soccer in the fall and golf and tennis in the spring. Boys' golf teams may compete in grass green (traditional) or sand green competition. The state championship golf event is, controversially, only a one round event. Other states, like Missouri, have two or three-round tournaments to ensure a fairer outcome. Girls who attend schools without golf, tennis, and soccer teams are allowed to play on the boys' teams at the school.
Non athletic events include:
Athletic events include:
Also the KSHSAA has been criticized for its 6A-1A format. Similar sized states, including neighboring Missouri do not have as many classifications, but have more total schools. This over-classification has been deemed a "watered down effect". Many rural schools argue the current classification structure favors schools in larger cities, especially in Classes 5A and 4A, where the discrepancy between the classificaiton numbers is quite large. For the 2008-09 school year, the largest Class 4A school had more than 2.5 times the number of students as the smallest school in the classification.
It has been suggested by many Kansas High School supporters (most specifically in basketball) that 5A and 6A should combine to form one 64 team classification. Other plans call for the 16 biggest 5A schools to jump to 6A. The idea is opposed by schools in the state's three major metropolitan areas (Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita), since the vast majority of 5A and 6A schools are in those areas. Of the 32 Class 6A schools, 13 are located in Johnson County
, the state's largest county and home to approximately 17 percent of Kansas' population.
Source: http://www.kshsaa.org/leagues.pdf
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
at the high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.
The KSHSAA was formed in 1937. It resulted from the merger of the statewide Debate League (formed in 1910) and the statewide Athletic Association.
Classification
KSHSAA divides schools based upon enrollment of grades 10, 11, and 12 for competition and state and regional championships. The largest 32 schools in the state are class 6A, the next largest 32 become 5A, the next 64 become 4A, 3A, and 2A respectively and the remaining schools become class 1A. These classes are re-evaluated every year for all activities except football, with new classifications announced in September after the start of the school year.Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
is evaluated biannually based only upon enrollment for grades 9, 10, and 11, with classifications for the next two seasons announced in October of an odd-numbered year. Schools with 100 or fewer students in grades 9-11 have the option to play Eight-man football
Eight-man football
Eight-man football is a type of American football, generally played by small high schools. Rules and formations vary greatly among states and even among different organizations, but the one constant is eight players from each team on the field at one time, as opposed to eleven-man football, which...
instead of the traditional 11-man game. In 11-man football, there are five classes (6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2-1A), with 32 schools in 6A and 5A, 64 schools in 4A and 3A, and the remaining schools (43 for 2010 and 2011) in 2-1A. In eight-man football, there are two divisions of roughly equal size, with 105 schools scheduled to compete in 8-man for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
Schools form leagues to compete against one another, and participation in a particular league is voluntary. Most schools in a league are located within a close geographic range. The most notable example is in Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, where the nine high schools within the city limits form the Greater Wichita Athletic League (GWAL, more commonly known as the City League). However, due to sparse population in western Kansas, schools in the same league are often separated by distances of more than 100 miles, and in a few cases, schools are almost 200 miles apart.
In football, teams are placed by the KSHSAA into districts in both 8-man and 11-man competition, and the top two teams in each district advance to the state playoff tournament. There are eight districts in Classes 6A, 5A, 2-1A and both divisions of 8-man football, and 16 districts in Classes 4A and 3A. Football is the only sport where schools are contractually required to play other schools during the regular season. Football contracts are signed on a two-year, home-and-home basis to begin in even-numbered years.
In some sports and activities where not all small schools may field a team, classifications are combined for purposes of state championships. For example, in policy debate, there are state championships for 6A, 5A, 4A, and 3-2-1A combined.
Historical Classifications
Basketball:- 2011: 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A-Division I, 1A-Division II
- 1969 to 2010: 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A.
- 1952 to 1968: AA, A, BB, B.
- 1941 to 1951: AA, A, B.
- 1931 to 1940: A, B.
Football:
- 1985 to present: 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2-1A, 8 Man-I, 8 Man-II.
- 1983 to 1984: 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, 8 Man-I, 8 Man-II.
- 1978 to 1982: 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, 8 Man.
- 1969 to 1977: 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, 8 Man.
Events
The association's largest event is the Kansas State track and field championships, which are held the weekend before Memorial DayMemorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
at Cessna Stadium
Cessna Stadium
Cessna Stadium, located in Wichita, Kansas, is the home of the Wichita State University Shocker track and field and soccer teams with a 30,000-seat capacity...
on the campus of Wichita State University
Wichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
. The meet, which features athletes from schools in all six classes, is one of the nation's largest high school meet, with more than 3,300 athletes participating. The state track meet hosted its 100th competition in 2010.
The eight-man football championships are held the Saturday before Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, while the 11-man football title games are held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, ensuring the football season ends before December 1. The games are held at various sites across the state, with popular sites including Fort Hays State University
Fort Hays State University
Fort Hays State University is a public, co-educational university located in Hays, Kansas, United States. It is the fourth-largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, with an enrollment of approximately 11,200 students .- History :FHSU was founded in 1902 as the...
in Hays
Hays, Kansas
Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University...
, Emporia State University
Emporia State University
Emporia State University is a university in the city of Emporia in Lyon County, Kansas, just east of the Flint Hills.- History :...
in Emporia
Emporia, Kansas
Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,916. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 and 35 on the Kansas Turnpike...
, the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in Lawrence
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
, Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
in Manhattan
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
, Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university with approximately 7,100 students located in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal...
in Pittsburg
Pittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, in southeastern Kansas, United States. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and in southeastern Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,233.-History:...
, and Hutchinson Community College
Hutchinson Community College
Hutchinson Community College is a two-year college located in Hutchinson, Kansas. Its mascot is the Blue Dragon. Philadelphia Phillies reliever Mike Zagurski attended the school.-External links:*...
in Hutchinson
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
, as well as high school stadiums in Salina
Salina, Kansas
Salina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 47,707. Located in one of the world's largest wheat-producing areas, Salina is a regional trade center for north-central Kansas...
and Topeka
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
. The eight-man championships are currently held at Fischer Field in Newton
Newton, Kansas
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,132. Newton is located north of Wichita and is included in the Wichita metropolitan statistical area...
.
Kansas is one of the few states, especially in the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, that holds state football championship games at different sites. State championships in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
are held at a single central location, while Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
holds its games at stadiums in Canton
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Massillon
Massillon, Ohio
Massillon is a city located in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio, approximately 8 miles to the west of Canton, Ohio, 20 miles south of Akron, Ohio, and 50 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. The population was 32,149 at the 2010 census....
, which are located only 11 miles apart.
The state basketball championships are held the second week of March, with girls and boys competition taking place at the same time. The sites for the six classes remained constant from 1990 through 2010, with 6A at Emporia State
Emporia State University
Emporia State University is a university in the city of Emporia in Lyon County, Kansas, just east of the Flint Hills.- History :...
, 5A at the Kansas Expocenter
Landon Arena
Landon Arena, better known as the Kansas Expocentre, is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena built in 1987 in Topeka, Kansas. It is currently home to the Kansas Koyotes indoor football team and the Topeka Roadrunners ice hockey team. Previously, Topeka Sizzlers of the Continental Basketball...
in Topeka
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, 4A at the Bicentennial Center
Bicentennial Center
The Bicentennial Center is a 7,583-seat multi-purpose arena, in Salina, Kansas. It was opened in 1979. It was home to the Kansas Cagerz of the United States Basketball League and in the past it was home to the Salina Rattlers of the now defunct International Basketball Association.The Bicentennial...
in Salina
Salina, Kansas
Salina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 47,707. Located in one of the world's largest wheat-producing areas, Salina is a regional trade center for north-central Kansas...
, 3A at the Hutchinson
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
Sports Arena, 2A at Bramlage Coliseum
Bramlage Coliseum
Fred Bramlage Coliseum is a 12,528-seat multi-purpose arena in Manhattan, Kansas. The arena's primary function is as home to the men's and women's basketball teams for Kansas State University. The building also holds offices for Kansas State Wildcats baseball, Intercollegiate Athletics, and Sports...
on the KSU
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
campus, and 1A at Fort Hays State
Fort Hays State University
Fort Hays State University is a public, co-educational university located in Hays, Kansas, United States. It is the fourth-largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, with an enrollment of approximately 11,200 students .- History :FHSU was founded in 1902 as the...
's Gross Memorial Coliseum
Gross Memorial Coliseum
The Gross Memorial Coliseum is a 6,814 seat multi-purpose arena in Hays, Kansas. It was built in 1973. It is the home of the Fort Hays State University Tigers women's volleyball team, as well as the men's and women's basketball teams...
. The 4A, 3A and 1A tournaments began at their current locations in 1980.
In 2011, the 6A tournament will move to Charles Koch Arena
Charles Koch Arena
Charles Koch Arena , popularly known as The Roundhouse, is a 10,506-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. It is home to the Wichita State Shockers men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball teams....
on the campus of Wichita State University
Wichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
, as Emporia will host the Class 1A-Division I tournament. The 1A-Division II tournament will remain at Hays.
State championships for baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
are held at the same time as the track championship, usually at community colleges or large recreational fields, although some championships have been held at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium
Lawrence-Dumont Stadium
Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is a stadium in Wichita, Kansas. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Wichita Wingnuts independent baseball team. It was built in 1934, underwent renovations in 2001 which brought improvements to the stadium sound system, new infield turf, a new...
in Wichita, home of the National Baseball Congress
National Baseball Congress
The National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
tournament and the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball's Wichita Wingnuts
Wichita Wingnuts
The Wichita Wingnuts are a professional baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas, in the United States. The Wingnuts are a member of the Central Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball.An expansion franchise in the...
, as well as Hoglund Ballpark
Hoglund Ballpark
Hoglund Ballpark is a baseball stadium in Lawrence, Kansas. It is the home field of the University of Kansas Jayhawks college baseball team. The stadium holds 2,500 people and opened for baseball in 1958. It is named after former Jayhawk baseball shortstop Forrest Hoglund.Following the 2010...
at KU in Lawrence. The 2011 Class 6A tournament will be hosted by KU, and the 5A tournament will be hosted by Wichita State at Eck Stadium
Eck Stadium
Eck Stadium is the home of the Wichita State Shockers baseball team in Wichita, Kansas. It has played host to the Shockers since its completion in 1984. Officially called Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field it is sometimes informally referred to as Eck.The stadium, which has gone through numerous...
.
State championships for wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
are held in late February every year. Up until 2005, classes 6,5, and 4A held separate but concurrently running tournaments at the Kansas Coliseum in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, while 3-2-1A held their tournament at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays
Hays, Kansas
Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University...
. After that year, KSHSAA began looking for alternative sites for the classes to hold their tournaments for a number of reasons, including remodeling which was to begin on the Coliseum in the following years. In 2006, 4A left and held its own tournament at the Bicentennial Center in Salina, Kansas
Salina, Kansas
Salina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 47,707. Located in one of the world's largest wheat-producing areas, Salina is a regional trade center for north-central Kansas...
, while the other classes stayed at their respective sites. In 2007/2008 season, each of the 4 classes competed in 4 separate facilities, as the Coliseum was not be available. 3-2-1A and 4A remain in Hays and Salina respectively, while 6A moved to Charles Koch Arena
Charles Koch Arena
Charles Koch Arena , popularly known as The Roundhouse, is a 10,506-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. It is home to the Wichita State Shockers men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball teams....
at Wichita State University
Wichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
and 5A moved to Hutchinson High School.
The 2009 6A and 5A championships returned to the Kansas Coliseum, but only for a one-year contract. The 2010 5A and 6A state wrestling tournaments were held at the Intrust Bank Arena. The 2011 6A and 5A state championships have been moved to the Hartman Arena
Hartman Arena
Hartman Arena is a privately managed 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena located at 77th Street North and I-135 in Park City, Kansas. Ground was broken on March 25, 2008, and opened the last week of March, 2009. It hosts home games of the Wichita Wild indoor football team. Tickets.com and Hartman Arena...
in Park City, Kansas
Park City, Kansas
Park City is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States; it is a suburb of Wichita. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,297.-History:...
.
Due to Kansas' cold climate in the winter, the championships for golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
are split. Girls compete in golf and tennis in the fall and soccer in the spring, while boys compete in soccer in the fall and golf and tennis in the spring. Boys' golf teams may compete in grass green (traditional) or sand green competition. The state championship golf event is, controversially, only a one round event. Other states, like Missouri, have two or three-round tournaments to ensure a fairer outcome. Girls who attend schools without golf, tennis, and soccer teams are allowed to play on the boys' teams at the school.
Sanctioned activities
KSHSAA classifies its activities into athletic and non-athletic events.Non athletic events include:
- Policy DebatePolicy debatePolicy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
- Kansas Association for Youth
- Music
- PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Scholar's Bowl
- Speech & Drama
- Spirit Activities
- Student CouncilStudent councilStudent council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
Athletic events include:
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- BowlingTen-pin bowlingTen-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- FootballHigh school footballHigh school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Girls GymnasticsArtistic gymnasticsArtistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
- SoccerFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
& DivingDivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one... - TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Track & FieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- Girls VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- WrestlingScholastic wrestlingScholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
Criticism
KSHSAA has been sharply criticized by many for some of its policies. Much criticism has come over a transfer rule. The rule states that if a student plays a varsity sport at one school, then transfers to another school (without actually moving to a new school district), the student is ineligible to participate in varsity sports for eighteen weeks. The rule was created to prevent private schools from recruiting star players away from public schools, but it also affects students who simply want to go to a new school while continuing to participate in varsity athletics.Also the KSHSAA has been criticized for its 6A-1A format. Similar sized states, including neighboring Missouri do not have as many classifications, but have more total schools. This over-classification has been deemed a "watered down effect". Many rural schools argue the current classification structure favors schools in larger cities, especially in Classes 5A and 4A, where the discrepancy between the classificaiton numbers is quite large. For the 2008-09 school year, the largest Class 4A school had more than 2.5 times the number of students as the smallest school in the classification.
It has been suggested by many Kansas High School supporters (most specifically in basketball) that 5A and 6A should combine to form one 64 team classification. Other plans call for the 16 biggest 5A schools to jump to 6A. The idea is opposed by schools in the state's three major metropolitan areas (Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita), since the vast majority of 5A and 6A schools are in those areas. Of the 32 Class 6A schools, 13 are located in Johnson County
Johnson County, Kansas
Johnson County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States. The county is largely suburban, being part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, and containing many of its affluent southwestern suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 544,179. Its county...
, the state's largest county and home to approximately 17 percent of Kansas' population.
Leagues
- Ark Valley Chisholm Trail LeagueArk Valley Chisholm Trail LeagueThe Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League, more commonly known as the AVCTL, is a multi-division league of member schools of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. The AVCTL comprises 26 3A through 6A public schools located in central and south central Kansas.The league is grouped into...
- Big SevenBig Seven Conference (Kansas)The Big Seven Conference is a high school athletics league located in Kansas. The conference is governed by the KSHSAA. It comprises eight small public schools located in eastern and northeastern Kansas.-Member schools:...
- CNC (Cherokee-Neosho-Crawford)Cherokee Neosho Crawford LeagueThe Cherokee Neosho Crawford League is a high school athletics conference comprising eight high school athletic teams in southeastern Kansas, seven public schools and one private Catholic school....
- CentennialCentennial LeagueThe Centennial League is a league of member schools of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. The league comprises ten public high schools in the region near Topeka, Kansas...
- Central Kansas LeagueCentral Kansas LeagueThe Central Kansas League is a high school athletic league comprising ten high school athletics programs located in central Kansas. The schools compete in interscholastic sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, and baseball.-Member Schools:...
- Central Plains LeagueCentral Plains LeagueCentral Plains League, or CPL, is a central Kansas athletics and activities league composed of ten 2A, 3A, and 4A schools.-Members:* Wichita Independent,* Conway Springs ,* Garden Plain ,* Belle Plaine ,* Leon-Bluestem ,* Douglass ,* Medicine Lodge ,...
- Central PrairieCentral Prairie LeagueThe Central Prairie League is a high school athletics conference comprising eleven high schools in Kansas. The schools compete in interscholastic athletic events such as football, basketball, softball, golf, and baseball.-Member Schools:...
- Delaware ValleyDelaware Valley LeagueThe Delaware Valley League is a high school athletics conference comprising fourteen small high schools in northeastern Kansas. The conference sponsors athletic interscholastic events such as Art, Band, Choir,football,volleyball, baseball, softball,track & field and basketball.-Member schools:...
- Eastern KansasEastern Kansas LeagueThe Eastern Kansas League, more commonly known around the state as The EKL, is a league of member schools of the Kansas State High School Activities Association...
- Flint HillsFlint Hills LeagueThe Flint Hills League is a high school athletics conference comprising eight high school athletics programs in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. The schools compete in athletic competition in sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, track and field, softball, and wrestling.-Member schools:...
- FrontierFrontier League (Kansas)The Frontier League is a high school athletics conference comprising seven high schools in eastern Kansas. The schools compete in sports such as football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and softball.-Member schools:...
- Great Western Athletic ConferenceGreat Western Athletic ConferenceThe Great Western Athletic Conference is a high school athletics league comprising six high schools in western Kansas. The schools compete in interscholastic athletic competition.-Member schools:...
- Greater Wichita Athletic LeagueGreater Wichita Athletic LeagueThe Greater Wichita Athletic League, more commonly known around the state simply as The City League, is a league of member schools of the Kansas State High School Activities Association...
(more commonly known as the Wichita City League) - Heart of America LeagueHeart of America LeagueThe Heart of America League is a high school athletic conference comprising nine high school athletics programs in central Kansas. The schools compete in interscholastic athletic competition.-Member schools:...
- Heart of the Plains
- Hi-Plains
- Kansas City-Atchison (formerly the Kansas City Kansas League)
- Kaw Valley
- Lyon County
- Mid-Central Activities Association (MCAA)
- Mid-ContinentMid-Continent LeagueThe Mid-Continent League, , is a league of member schools of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. The league was formed in 1947 by six high schools in small towns in northwest Kansas. Today, the league consists of nine schools, none of which are above Class 3A in enrollment...
- Mid-East
- North Central Activities Association
- North Central Kansas
- Northern Plains (consolidation of Cheyenne, Pike Trail and Twin Lakes starting in 2011-12)
- Northwest Kansas
- Pioneer
- Southern Plains-Iroquois (SPIAA)
- Santa Fe Trail
- South Central Border
- Southeast KansasSoutheast Kansas LeagueThe Southeast Kansas League is a high school athletic conference represented by nine schools in the southeast region of Kansas. The league offers championships for girls in Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, and Volleyball...
- Sunflower
- Three Rivers
- Tri-Valley
- Twin Valley
- Western Athletic ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference (KSHSAA league)The Western Athletic Conference is a league of member schools of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. The league is made up of five large high schools in Western Kansas...
- Wheat State League
Source: http://www.kshsaa.org/leagues.pdf